


A beginning (One of many)

by ShadowSelene (Shadowdianne)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 10:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17486828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowdianne/pseuds/ShadowSelene
Summary: “You think you can kill me? That’s honestly the funniest thing I heard all day. No one told me you were a comedian too.” asked by waknatious via tumblr





	A beginning (One of many)

**Author's Note:**

> Set on: 2x01

 

“She is powerless!”

Regina bristled at the scream as Doctor Whale pinned her against one of the columns of her own porch. She could feel a flame of fear rising on her stomach, one that she quickly quenched as she rose her chin; defiant, while the man’s right hand closed around her throat, fingers digging on her flesh.

Everyone, no matter where she looked at, was eyeing her with anger and hate, the bloodlust present on their eyes as they moved closer, the circle they had created around her when she had first exited the now closed door of her home turning smaller and smaller as they grew bolder. Which, she momentarily thought as she swallowed, her throat constricting in pain as Whale eyed her with a glimmer of victory on his eyes, was a mistake: she had work way too hard for her to never feel powerless ever again. A thought that made her almost laugh deliriously while she zeroed on Whale’s face, at the way it was contorted in anger and spite. How stupid, she thought with something close to a mirthless smile curving her lips; that the man that had helped Rumplestiskin transforming her into the woman she had ended up being would be the one who killed her.

Oh, yes, she wasn’t stupid; she had learnt about the plan way too late already on her own descend into darkness, but she had known about it regardless; a careless whisper made by some eavesdropping commoners. Ones she had personally killed with a well-placed hex.

Stealing herself, she snarled at Whale as the pressure on her throat kept on increasing, black spots beginning to cloud her sight. She would not die today, she promised to herself, panic trying to arise once more within her but never letting the emotion get the best of her. She might be magicless, but she would never stop trying to thrive, to live. If not for her, for Henry.

The pang on her heart acted as a memory of the look the boy had last given her, the guilt of being her the responsible for him to be prostrated on that hospital bed seeping into her voice as she croaked, almighty as always, larger than life.

“You think you can kill me? That’s honestly the funniest thing I heard all day. No one told me you were a comedian too.”

She saw the effect her words had on Whale and she almost cackled at it, at the way the man was so easily played, toyed with. She, however, didn’t laugh, wasn’t able to: Her lungs didn’t have enough air to truly spend on it. Biting into her tongue, savoring the metallic taste of her blood, she laid flushed against the column, waiting for any opportunity to break free from his grasp; any minute now.

And then, as her nagging inner voice began to truly doubt she would manage to break free, she heard another voice above the ones that kept encouraging Whale -no, no Whale, Victor-. A voice that she would recognize anywhere even if it only was because it had transformed the world around her just like she had known for 28 years.

“Let her go! Let her go!”

She opened her eyes, suddenly realizing that at some point she had closed them, only to see a flurry of gold and red approaching her, effectively punching Whale away from her in a movement that made her almost fall as her throat felt free from Victor’s fingers.

Coughing, she swayed a little as Emma’s hand steadied her with one strong grasp on her forearm. Her fingers clasped on her skin in the same strong way Victor’s had done and yet Regina didn’t felt the grasp bruising as she momentarily looked upwards, at the way Emma quickly checked her neck with worried and stormy eyes that had just enough sparks for Regina to wonder -momentarily- if there was no magic involved on the way Emma’s green eyes suddenly seemed lighter and full of gold and dirty white.

It was useless of course, she still felt the phantom grasp on her neck, her lungs hurting with every gulp of air she took, chest rising erratically as she tried to keep her composure as the angry mob around both of them began to close again; enraged.

“Henry was worried about you.” Emma whispered, and the tunnel-vision suddenly broke into a million pieces as Regina felt the floor behind her feet open; threatening to swallow her whole as Emma physically shielded from Whale’s angry screams, not letting him get past her with one hand raised, turned into a fist, the other still keeping Regina close.

“No matter what Regina did, it does not justify this.”

It was a strange sentence to say, especially because Regina felt the urge of burst into laughter at it. Oh, it justified it. It justified because of everything she had done but it was still strangely endearing seeing the righteous blonde keeping her safe despite everything they had done to each other. Wanting to gain an upper hand in a game Regina was beginning to suspect went beyond a stupid prophecy or curse.

In hindsight, and she would think about this moment for a really long long time, that was the first time she saw beyond Emma’s so called savior title. But, for that, for that realization to come, there were still many things she needed to learn, to understand, to accept. So, at this point in time, she remained silent as Emma protected her, not once showing any ounce of doubt, shoulders tensed, muscles bulging, jaws clenched.

And she felt amazingly grateful for it.


End file.
